Unforgettable
by aussiebabe290
Summary: AU. What if the last words your little girl ever said were 'I love you' What would you do if you could never see your little girl again?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello hello hello! Welcome (yet again) to my new story! As I have finished 'To Be A Father', 'A Sort of Fairytale' and 'Even Angels Cry', here it is. Love to hear some feedback! R&R, **

**Rhyleigh xoxox**

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><p>Kelsea Jean Barton was the epitome of perfection, in the eyes of her parents. Eyes as blue as the summer sky, honey blonde ringlets that danced on her shoulders, a grin that could brighten anyone's day. The first and only child for Jake Barton and Rachel Rafter (despite her love for the man, she refused to change her name), they had gone through a lot to get their little girl. She was their princess, and that was the way they were going to keep it.<p>

"Good morning, chicken", Rachel chuckled, as Kelsea sleepily shuffled into the lounge room.

"Hi Mummy", Kelsea yawned, throwing herself onto the coffee coloured couch. "Where's Daddy?"

"He's already gone to work, Kels. Are you alright? You slept pretty late". Rachel glanced at the clock- very unlike her mother; Kelsea Jean was an early bird.

"I'm okay, Mummy", Kelsea giggled, throwing her arms around her unsuspecting mother and squeezing tight.

It was moments like this that Rachel loved the best- the spontaneous love that only a three year old could provide. Tickling the cheeky blonde and making her shriek with laughter, peppered her daughter with hundreds of tiny kisses. She knew that they didn't stay little for very long (her baby sister Ruby, already five years old, was her proof), so her plan was to make the most of it while she could.

"What do you want to do this morning?" Rachel wanted to know, questioning the still squirming little girl.

And much the same as any day, the list was endless. Clutching her favourite Billie doll (a present from Uncle Nathan and Aunty Sammy when Kelsea was a little non-sleeping newborn), Kelsea danced around the house, full of energy for the new day.

It started with breakfast with her mother- two Weetbix in her favourite bowl (the one with Dora and Boots on the bottom) and orange cordial in her favourite cup (the one with Snow White on it). Abandoning her pink Dora pyjamas, Kelsea changed into tights and a skirt, a pink vest and her tiny boots pulling it together. She moved from the dollhouse her great granddad Ted built for her birthday to the scooter Aunty Retta and Uncle Carbo bought for Christmas, pausing her game to tackle the dog (Rachel and Jake had to wonder how on earth Roxy managed not to throw the little girl over the fence- quite often, the three year old had ended up riding the placid beagle).

"Mummy, come play!" Kelsea enthused.

"One moment, alright baby?" Rachel tried.

"I love you!" Kelsea blew her a kiss and Rachel pressed it to her heart, before watching her daughter scoot off once more.

Packing away her laptop in a high place (too low to the ground and Kelsea would take it out, in an effort to get to the dog faster) and moving the cup of cordial Kelsea had yet to drink (if she left it there, it would no doubt go flying in a sticky mess), Rachel paused to quickly wipe the table.

But the sound of their dog barking made Rachel's ears perk up- the only time the beagle ever barked when there was someone near her Kelsea Jean. She was fiercely protective of the little girl, and would howl no end if someone even looked at her funny.

But the hysterical barking was not something Rachel was used to.

"Roxy!" Rachel called, rushing out of the house through the back door.

She noticed what was wrong straight away. The side gate was open.

Ever since Kelsea was a baby, they had been drilling into her not to open the side gate. It was opened only when Jake arrived home from work, to park his car in the driveway beside his wife's. While their road wasn't entirely busy, one wrong move on a scooter, and the unknowing wheels of a moving car could result in an accident that no one wanted. So the side gate being open sent warning bells.

"Kelsea?" Rachel's voice rose, as she hurried out to the front yard, expecting to see her three year old daughter.

But Kelsea was nowhere to be seen.

What were to be seen, though, were her Billie doll and her little pink scooter, lying in the middle of the driveway.

"Kelsea?" Rachel raised her voice once more, panic having set in.

She rushed around their property- not a huge once, just big enough for their family of three- in search of the tiny blonde, not caring how much trouble she ought to be in. all she wanted was to cuddle her in her arms.

And when she didn't find her, she had no other choice but to call the police.

Her younger brother Ben had done that once before, while babysitting Ruby. She had been the same age as Kelsea was- only three- and the two were playing hide and seek in the backyard of the house Ben shared with his wife and mates. He was counting on the veranda, and sometime between hiding and Ben coming to find her, their tiny little sister had fallen asleep. And when she didn't respond to Ben calling her, he found it necessary to alert the police.

(Needless to say, he had some explaining to do when their parents arrived at home.)

But this wasn't a game of hide and seek. This wasn't even a game.

Her daughter was missing.

Kelsea Jean was missing.

After alerting the police, Rachel sunk down onto the kitchen tiles, knowing she had at least one more person to call.

"Jake?" she said shakily, tears falling freely down her face.

"Baby, what's the matter?" Jake said immediately, hearing the lump in his wife's throat. "What happened?"

"It's Kelsea".

He felt his stomach drop- his whole life was that little girl. "What happened to Kelsea, baby?"

"She's gone, Jake, Kelsea's gone!"

And Rachel dissolved into tears, falling to the kitchen floor, sobbing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the feedback! Appreciate it so much! I hope you guys enjoy the second chapter! R&R, **

**Rhyleigh xoxox**

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><p>The colour drained from Jake's face, as he tried to remain calm. "Rach? Baby, what do you mean? Where's my princess?"<p>

Dave stopped what he was doing, glancing at his son in law. "Jake, what happened?"

"Rach, you have to talk to me", he said urgently. But when she said nothing- her heaving sobs the only sound on the other end of the phone- he made his decision. "Baby, I'm on my way home, alright? Don't move".

"Jake, mate, what happened?"

"I don't know, I gotta go". And Jake tossed aside the tools, running full speed towards his ute (he had only moved that fast once before in his life. When Rachel went into labour).

He was fairly certain he broke a few road rules (not to mention the speed limit) in his attempt to get home faster, and skidded to a stop, barely putting on the handbrake before bolting into the kitchen.

"RAY-CHEL!" he bellowed.

His wife was a teary mess, curled up on the floor. "Jake", she whimpered.

"Baby, you're scaring me, you have to tell me what happened", he said urgently.

But a knock on the front door stopped them both.

If it had been any other instance, Jake would have felt proud (he had beaten the police, the ones with sirens and lights. But if the police had been following him, the chances of him being placed under arrest were quite high). But he couldn't shift the lump of lead sitting in his stomach, the bulge in his throat that was his breakfast.

The thought that his little girl was gone was too much to bear.

"Hello, I'm Officer Anthony Cabot", the male began, "And this is Officer Victoria Dixon".

"Hi", Jake said shortly, allowing the two officers inside his house. "I really don't know what happened, all my wife said was that our baby's gone- you've gotta get her back. I don't know what happened, but that little girl is my life".

"Sir, you need to calm down", Officer Cabot said, placing a hand on Jake's shoulder and following him inside.

_Calm down_! Jake wanted to scream. _How am I supposed to calm down when my baby girl's missing_?

"This is my wife Rachel", he said instead. "I'm Jake Barton".

"Alright, we need to know what exactly happened", Officer Dixon said to Rachel, and the blonde wiped her face, leaning into Jake's arms.

"Kelsea was playing outside and I was working on my laptop at the table", Rachel swallowed hard. "She called for me to come out and watch her, and I said I'd be there in a minute. I put the computer away and moved the stuff off the table, and then I heard our dog barking, and she doesn't bark unless something's happening to Kelsea. When I went outside- I went outside straight away- the side gate was open and the scooter and her doll were just lying in the driveway".

Jake's eyes widened at Rachel's recap- his Kelsea Jean never went anywhere without her Billie doll. It had gone everywhere with them since she day she received it (the perfect size for her, Rachel had ended up approaching Sammy and Nathan and asking where it was bought, just so there was a backup. While Honey Bee was another favourite with the little girl, Billie was never to leave Kelsea's side).

"Is there someone looking for her?" Jake interrupted, as Officer Cabot opened his mouth to speak.

"We've issued a missing person's report", the police officer said calmly, "And there's police searching the area. We sent officers out the moment your wife called. Now, we're going to need all the information and statistics on your daughter…"

Which they got. Her full name, her birth date, age, weight, height, eye colour, hair colour, anything that would help them find the little girl. Jake produced photographs taken recently (at Ruby's fifth birthday party), to be sure that the police found his daughter sooner, rather than later.

"I assure you, the chances of us finding her within forty eight hours are high", Officer Dixon told the couple.

But then there was the one question that caused Jake to lose his cool all together.

"You two didn't, by any chance, have anything to do with your daughter's disappearance?"

"Us?" Jake roared, standing up. "What makes you think that Rachel and I would do anything to hurt our daughter? She's our daughter, for God's sake!"

"You need to calm down; the first suspects in a missing child's report are always the parents".

"How do you expect me to calm down, when my daughter's out there with some freak?" Jake was about ready to shove the police officer's head through the kitchen window. "My daughter is out there with someone who thought it would be a good idea to snatch some innocent little girl from the safety of her backyard- in broad freakin' daylight! And then, instead of helping us, you decide to accuse me and my wife of having something to do with this?"

"I'm sorry, sir-"

"Do either of you have children?" Jake ploughed on.

Officer Cabot shook his head, but Officer Dixon nodded. "I have two little boys, four and six".

"How would you feel, then, if you got a frantic phone call from your husband, to say that one- or both- of your little boys were missing? My freakin' heart nearly stopped! That little girl means more to us than anything; I would climb up and steal the moon for her!"

"She's my baby", Rachel said quietly, tears gathering in her already red rimmed and puffy eyes. "I need my baby back".

"And we're doing everything we can to get her back to you both", Officer Cabot said, in a somewhat calmer manner. "The odds of finding Kelsea in the first forty eight hours are high and I can assure you, that we will not rest until we find her".

"We'll continue searching, and keep in touch", Officer Dixon said, before heading towards the door. "We'll find your daughter, we will".

The couple simply sat on the cold kitchen floor, the phone between them, as the day dwindled away. Waiting, hoping and praying that they would receive the phone call from the police, saying that their Kelsea Jean had been found and was going to be returned to her parents' arms. They cried and held onto each other, wondering how anyone could do that to an innocent little girl. They wracked their brains, trying to remember if they had taught her self defense, and found themselves breaking down into tears when they thought of her hurt, alone and scared, without her Billie doll to protect her.

It was four forty one when Rachel came to her conclusion.

"I'm a terrible mother".

"What?" Jake looked towards his wife in disbelief. "No you're not!"

"Yes I am!" Rachel argued back. "How can you say that I am, after what just happened? She's gone, Kelsea's gone".

"I know".

"I'm her mother; I'm supposed to protect her from things like that!"

"So am I, I'm her father!"

"Yeah, but you're a good father". Her eyes welled up with tears for what seemed like the thousandth time that afternoon. "She loves hanging out with you and playing with you, she's such a daddy's girl".

"But is there was something wrong, she goes straight to you". Jake took a deep breath, running his fingers through Rachel's unruly curls- the ones Kelsea had inherited completely. "We're gonna get her back, baby. She's gotta come back".

"What are we supposed to tell my parents and your mum?" Rachel whimpered.

The lump in Jake's throat grew bigger- that thought hadn't crossed his mind as of yet. "Um…"

"We've gotta tell them", Rachel decided.

It was the hardest thing in the world, telling a parent that their child was missing. And it was even worse telling a grandparent, that their beloved grandchild was gone. They saw how much their own child was hurting, and the pain was simply unbearable.

So one text message was sent around to their family members, informing them of the afternoon's plan.

**Family meeting at Dave and Julie's. Important, everyone. R&J**

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><p>"Rachel, what happened?"<p>

Julie knew something was wrong, the moment her eldest stepped into the house. Jake was squeezing her hand tight, and they were both sporting red-rimmed eyes.

"Where's Kelsea?" Dave queried. His granddaughter always made sure to alert the whole family of her arrival- Ruby especially. The two little girls were the best of friends.

"Is Kelsea here?" Ruby shrieked excitedly, dancing into the hallway and Jake gripped Rachel's hand just a little tighter.

"Kelsea's not here, munchkin". Jake forced a shaky smile onto his face, gently nudging Rachel towards the lounge room, where he found the rest of her family. Sammy, Melissa and Retta were on the lounge, the boys lounging on the floor, eyes fixe to the television. Ted was relaxing in the armchair, eyes fixed on the newspaper, while Chel and Grace chatted.

"What happened, Rachel?" Dave wanted to know.

Rachel took a deep breath. "Dad, Kelsea's gone".

"What?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for being so incredibly slack! These holidays have been pretty full on (down to the Harry Potter midnight screening with my chickee!), but I am back. Maybe. Read and review, please? I'd love to hear some feedback!**

**Rhyleigh xoxox**

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><p>"The chances of finding her within forty eight hours are high", Jake choked out, his arms around Rachel. He had to stay strong for his wife, no matter how much it hurt him- Kelsea was their little girl. A parent's love for their child was the strongest bond in the world.<p>

"Oh my God", Melissa breathed.

Julie had tears running down her face at the pain her daughter was feeling- a pain she couldn't take away. Being a mother was one of the most rewarding, and yet one of the most difficult jobs anyone could ever undertake. They only wanted what was best for their children- seeing them hurt made them hurt even more. When her children were little, Julie was usually able to cure their pain with a band aid and a kiss, and maybe a lolly to stop the tears. In Ben's case, it had been several trips to the emergency room fix his hurt (two broken arms and four broken fingers, all on different occasions), but in the end, the pain had stopped.

Julie knew that the pain Rachel and Jake were feeling wasn't going to ease until little Kelsea Jean was in their arms again.

"Oh honey", Melissa mumbled thickly, pulling Rachel into her arms.

They were in shock, the whole family, from the moment Jake and Rachel walked in the door. Emotions were running high, as Jake cradled his wife gently in his arms, kissing her forehead gently.

"It's gonna be okay, Jake", Ben finally spoke up, around the lump in his throat.

"We're gonna get Kelsea back", Ruby said firmly, with a lot more authority than the average five year old. Rachel was secretly amazed at how much the little girl had picked up on, but she knew better than anyone that children knew a lot more than their parents thought.

"We better head home", Jake said finally, "I'm going to call the station again, to check on the whole situation".

"Call us the minute you know something", Grace said to her son.

"We will", he promised. "Come on, baby, we better head home. What do you think?"

She wordlessly stood up, entwining her fingers with his.

Dave glanced at his own daughter, little Ruby, thinking about what would happen if the same thing happened to her. With a shudder, he vowed to read her an extra story that night, just to show her how much she meant to him.

"Mum, what if-" Ben started, but was abruptly cut off.

"I don't even want to think about it", Julie said, shaking her head.

No one wanted to think about it.


	4. Chapter 4

**This chapter jumps around a lot, and I'm not entirely happy with it, but here you go. After a long cuddle with goddaughter today, I figured I better post this chapter, because I was getting nowhere. Anyway, read and review and tell me what you think!**

**Rhyleigh xoxox**

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><p>That night, the Barton house was silent. It hadn't been that quiet since Kelsea was born- but that night, not a sound. Rachel and Jake didn't know what to say, as they lay there in bed, worrying about their little girl.<p>

Where was she?

Rachel moved a little closer to her husband, tears welling in her eyes. Jake pulled her close, unable to fathom life without their Kelsea Jean. His life- and his wife's- had changed for the better when their little blue eyed beauty came into the world, and he hardly imagine life without her.

"She's going to be okay", Jake whispered, as their red digital clock rolled over to three a.m. "we're going to get her back".

"We're going to get her back", Rachel whispered back. "We have to get her back".

But forty eight hours passed, and with the whole of Australia searching for little Kelsea Jean, Jake and Rachel were in tears.

"Jake", Rachel whispered, three nights later.

"Don't say it", he snapped, turning away.

Kelsea had the ability to brighten someone's day, with her cheeky smile and sweet giggle. Rachel hadn't smiled since Kelsea had wrapped her arms around her last. As far as she was concerned, there was nothing to smile about.

"Rachel, you're going to make yourself sick", Julie pointed out, as Rachel pushed around the mashed potato on her plate. "Darling, you've got to eat".

"Mum, leave it". Ben shot their mother a look, as Rachel pushed her plate away.

"I'm sorry, Mum", Rachel mumbled.

Jake wrapped his arm around her, allowing her to lean her head on his shoulder.

"I miss Kelsea", Ruby spoke up.

"Eat up, Rubes". Retta pointed to Ruby's half empty plate with her own fork.

"But Rachel doesn't have to eat her 'tatoes", Ruby mumbled, resuming the use of her fork.

Jake and Rachel had almost abandoned their own house, moving into Rachel's childhood bedroom. After almost a week without their daughter, they were in no mood to see Kelsea's pink bedroom. in Dave and Julie's house, they had the support of their families,

"Mummy", Rachel heard Ruby say, as they lay in Rachel's bed. "is Kelsea going to be back soon?"

They heard Dave and Julie talking, long after they had gone to bed.

"Can't imagine how much pain they're in, she's a perfect little girl".

"Who would take a little girl like that?"

They were especially careful not to let Ruby into the front yard, and both had almost forgotten about their work.

"You alright?" Jake whispered, as Rachel shifted beside him once more.

"No, actually, I actually feel really sick". Rachel groaned, her stomach lurching. "I'll be back".

Stumbling a little, she swung open the door and headed towards the bathroom. The slam of the bathroom door in the early hours of the morning was enough to wake up the members of the house.

"Whassa matter?" Ruby wanted to know, leaning sleepily against her doorway.

(The little girl could sleep through an earthquake and yet the slam of a door had awoken her from her slumber.)

"Go back to bed, munchkin", Jake whispered, as both Sammy and Nathan emerged from their bedroom. "Sorry, guys, sorry. Rachel?"

"Is she okay?" Sammy wanted to know.

"I don't know, Sam, go back to bed".

Rachel was bent over the porcelain bowl of the toilet, gagging.

"Oh, baby". He knelt down beside her, rubbing her back and brushing her hair back. "Shh, it'll be alright".

"Jake, I feel like crap". She sobbed, holding onto her husband for support. "I want Kelsea back".

Perhaps her mother was right. She hadn't slept or eaten properly- no more than a slice of toast or a mouthful of whatever Julie had prepared for dinner- since the day Kelsea had gone missing.

"I want her back too".

"She's so sick", Sammy whispered to Nathan.

"Think about what's they've been through, Sam, it's understandable". Nathan pressed a kiss to Sammy's lips.

But, as the day progressed and the sun rose into the sky, Rachel didn't get any better. She crawled into her bed, hiding under the purple blankets, trying to sooth her churning stomach. She felt sick and bloated, and worried sick about her daughter.

"I'm going into the kitchen, alright Rach?" Jake checked, brushing his hand over her forehead. She nodded, squeezing her eyes shut.

"How is she?" Julie wanted to know, offering Jake a slice of toast.

"Is she still sick?" Ruby wanted to know, waving around her cereal spoon in greeting.

"Little bit, kiddo". He shook his head, declining the toast.

"I'm gonna go and see her", Sammy decided, "Before I go to work".

"Hi guys", Melissa called, coming in the front door with Ben at her heels. Ruffling Ruby's curls, she followed Sammy into the room Rachel and Jake were residing in.

"Hey honey", Melissa said gently. "How are you?"

"Sick and bloated". Rachel let out a shaky laugh, rolling onto her back. "Morning". Kicking off the blankets, she sat up. "God, I feel gross".

Sammy rubbed Rachel's back- but it didn't stop her mind from ticking. She had seen Rachel the way she was once before in her life- when she first found out that she was pregnant with Kelsea.

But, as it turned out, she wasn't the only one thinking like that.

"No!" Rachel cried, when Melissa quietly spoke up. "I'm not pregnant, Mel. What the hell?"

Only weeks earlier, before Kelsea's third birthday, she and Jake had discussed giving her a little brother or sister. There were two years between Rachel and Ben, and four years between Jake and Alex. They both wanted another baby- a little boy, Jake had laughed- but had decided that they didn't have to have another one right away. If it happened, it happened.

"Oh holy _shit_".


	5. Chapter 5

**Went to the movies to see Glee last night... totally sang along! The BFF was surprised we weren't kicked out of the cinema. Read and review, **

**Rhyleigh**

**RIP Daniel Morcombe.**

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><p>After two weeks of solid searching, both Officer Dixon and Officer Cabot were exhausted. They were determined to find the little girl, but as time ticked on, they realised that the chances they had were slowly slipping away from them.<p>

"What do you think?" Officer Cabot said, after another long day. "Do you think we'll find her?"

It was difficult, in a case with the little girl. Daniel Morcombe, a Queenslander, had been missing for almost eight years when he was pronounced murdered, his family losing all hope. And then there was Jaycee Dugard- she had been found after eighteen years. Madeleine McCann, who had been the same age as the little girl upon her abduction, was still missing.

Kelsea Barton's case, however, was still up in the air.

No one knew which way it was going to turn out.

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><p>"I miss her so much", Rachel whispered, as Jake unlocked the house.<p>

It was one month to the day of Kelsea's disappearance. Rachel had never thought that she'd be able to live without her daughter- a mother's love was instilled the moment she found out she was pregnant- and the gaping hole in her heart proved that she was only just surviving.

Her room hadn't been touched since she had gotten out of bed the morning she went missing- except to lay her Billie doll on the bed, in the hope of one day, the little girl returning.

That night, Rachel's mind was on the new baby growing inside of her, while Jake's was on their three year old.

"Love you baby girl", he whispered to the photo beside his bed and she grinned back, her smile frozen in time.


	6. Chapter 6

**Was having a chat to my brother's girlfriend today. "Rhyles, I promise, even if we break up, I'll come over because I love your mum's cooking and I love you". **  
><strong>(They won't break up.)<br>Read and review!  
>Rhyleigh xoxox<br>PS: Happy birthday to my beautiful, gorgeous best friend, I love you!**

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><p>"Happy birthday baby girl", Rachel whispered, to the photo on her bedside table, pulling up the blankets.<p>

Kelsea Jean would have been seven years old that day. She would have opened her presents, blown out the candles on her chocolate cake, and eaten either spaghetti or pizza for dinner- what had been her favourites. Maybe her taste would have changed over the four years, and maybe she would have preferred something different.

Not a day went by where Rachel didn't think of her eldest daughter. But there were two days in particular where the little girl was missed- her birthday and the day she had gone missing. Two days that Rachel, no matter how long she lived, would never forget.

August twenty fourth, 2012. The day that Kelsea Jean Barton made her way into the world, after a fifteen and a half hour labour. Big blue eyes, downy blonde hair, the tiniest thing Jake and Rachel had ever seen in their entire lives.

October sixth, 2015. The last time either of them had ever seen their daughter, the day she went missing. The last time that Jake and Rachel would get to see her smiling face and hear her cheeky giggle.

"Hey Mama", three year old Tayah said quietly, leaning against the doorway with her favourite doll hanging from one hand.

"Hey munchkin". Rachel smiled at the little girl, reaching out to take her hand. "Ready to go to Grandma and Grandpa's tonight?"

"With Ruby?"

"Yeah, with Ruby". Rachel kissed the little girl's curls and Tayah smiled.

"Where's Daddy?"

"Daddy's at work, bub. He's going to meet us at Grandma's".

"Oh". Tayah thought for a moment. "Can Izzy come?"

Rachel had to laugh. "Of course Izzy can come".

Izzy was the doll that Sammy and Nathan had bought for Tayah Elyse, the day she was born. And, as her big sister had done for Billie, Tayah carted Izzy everywhere, rarely seen without it.

It was only a short walk to Dave and Julie's place, and the mother daughter pair spent it in serious chatter, as Tayah told Rachel exactly what games she was goin to play with Ruby that night.

"The boys are too little", she informed the older blonde, speaking of her cousins- Joel David Rafter, Ben and Melissa's little boy, and Harrison Thomas Rafter, Sammy and Nathan's son, were born only weeks apart, barely six months of age. "But me and Ruby can play".

Rachel laughed, squeezing Tayah's hand gently, making the almost three year old smile.

It was tradition to gather at Dave and Julie's, every August twenty fourth, a tradition Rachel wished was happier. For the first three years of her life, they had celebrated with cake and presents, but upon her disappearance, Kelsea Jean's birthday was a sombre event.

"Hey darling", Julie greeted, as Rachel opened the door. "Hey pretty girl!"

"Hi Grandma!" the three year old called, before running to find where Ruby was. "Ruby!"

"Hi Tay!" Ruby squealed excitedly.

"How are you today, darling?" Julie wanted to know.

"Surviving". Rachel laughed. "Barely. Mum, she would have been seven. In year one at school".

"I know, darling, Dad said that to me this morning. She's only a little bit younger than Ruby".

The night progressed with Julie's famous lasagne and an endless game of hide and seek between aunt and niece, as Ruby and Tayah ran through the house squealing excitedly.

Rachel was leaning against Jake, eyes half asleep, listening to her parents, brothers, sisters in law, and grandparents talk, when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket.

"Sorry", she apologised, lifting herself off the lounge and answering the unknown number. "Hello?"

"Hello, this is Officer Cabot; may I please speak to Rachel Barton?"

"This is Rachel".

Officer Cabot and Officer Dixon had been the ones working on Kelsea's case. The ones that, upon calling, would cause Rachel's heart to race. They were capable of telling her that her baby girl was coming home, to be in her arms once more, or that she was dead, her tiny body shoved in a bush somewhere. She had heard of horrible cases in the time Kelsea was missing, not one giving her any comfort at all.

Her case hadn't been closed- far from closed, every day they were searching for the little girl- but seemed to be put on the back burner.

"We've found an opening", the man told her. "We think we've got a lead to where your daughter is".

"Oh my God", Rachel whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Rach?" Jake's voice sounded far away, as she sat down on the edge of a kitchen chair.


	7. Chapter 7

**I hope everyone's enjoying this story, I would love some feedback! Read and review,**  
><strong>Rhyleigh xoxox<strong>

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><p>"Kels", Rachel choked out and Jake visibly paled under his tan. Tayah, with her blue eyes huge, swapped worried looks between her parents before climbing into Dave's lap.<p>

"Is Mummy and Daddy okay?" she wanted to know, as Dave took the phone.

"They're a bit shocked, bub", Ben told his niece, reaching out and tugging gently on a curl that had come loose. "They haven't talked to this person in a long time".

"Are they bad?"

"Not this person", Sammy said quickly. "This is a good person".

"Oh". She was quiet, before climbing out of her grandfather's lap and padding over barefoot to her mother. "Mummy?"

"Yeah, munchkin?" Rachel said, her voice barely audible.

Without answering, Tayah climbed onto her lap, wrapping her arms around her neck and kissed the end of her nose. "I love you Mama".

"I love you too, baby".

Jake passed the phone back to his wife, ruffling Tayah's hair. "Can someone watch Tay tomorrow? Rach and I have something to do".

"We'll do it", Ted volunteered. "We can go to the park, can't we darling?"

Tayah beamed, scrambling off her mother's lap and running towards her great grandfather. "Yeah! Let's play on the swings!"

"You've got no idea what you're getting yourself into", Nathan mumbled, looking at his sister and brother in law curiously. "Was that-"

"Yep".

"Did they-"

"We don't know".

"Is she-"

"Drop it". Ben shot a warning glare at his younger brother and Nathan obediently clamped his mouth shut.

"Do you want Tay to stay here tonight?" Julie suggested.

"Sleepover!" the little girl enthused. "Can I, Grandma? Can I sleep over, Daddy?"

"If it's alright with Grandma and Grandpa", he assured her, kissing the top of her head and holding her tight.

"Of course she can", Julie assured them and both Ruby and Tayah squealed excitedly. Rachel smiled at her daughter, but her mind was on a different little blonde.

Their Kelsea Jean.

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><p>The search for Kelsea Jean had been going on for over three years, and never had they had a call about 'new leads'. While they had been trying their hardest to find the little girl, nothing had been discovered.<p>

Phone calls had always made their hearts race- the outcome could either be really good or be really bad. They could hold their little girl in their arms and never let her go, or they could end up burying her remains, left only with the memories of their sweet daughter.

"Jake". Rachel said cautiously, and he silenced her, pressing his finger to her lips.

"Rach, don't even think about it", he warned her, taking her hand and leading her into the police station.

They were then given a rundown of what they already knew- before being presented with the new information.

There had been another little girl (from Adelaide) go missing, six weeks after Kelsea disappeared. By the photograph the police had she was about five- brown braids hanging down her shoulders, her front teeth missing and her big blue eyes bright. Jake and Rachel's hearts had gone out to the poor little girl's family; they knew exactly how they were feeling.

But that little girl had been spotted, only the day before. Or at least a little girl very similar to little Ava Owen, who would have been celebrating her ninth birthday.

"What's this got to do with Kelsea's case?" Jake wanted to know.

"They were spotted in Perth", Officer Cabot told them, "Late yesterday afternoon. It was reported late last night, and that was when we contacted you".

"Yes, but-"

"There was a second little girl with the man", Officer Cabot cut her off. "This time, a blonde".

"Kelsea", Jake whispered.

"Oh my God", Rachel breathed.


	8. Chapter 8

**I hope people are still reading this! Please leave a review,**

**Rhyleigh x**

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><p>Rachel actually felt her heart stop in her chest- after almost four years of searching; they might be able to hold their little girl in their arms once more. After countless sleepless nights and the thousands of tears they had shed, Kelsea Jean could be coming home.<p>

"Its only speculation", the police officer reminded them, "There's been no proof that either girl is who we think they are. They disappeared right now, but the city is crawling with police, hoping to tie us into both Ava Owen's and Kelsea's cases".

(Jake and Rachel had met up with little Ava's parents and younger brothers, and the two families had spoken of the sudden disappearances of their little girls. While it had been speculated that the two were together, there was no evidence to back them up.)

"We're doing our best, but we needed to notify you", Officer Dixon piped up.

The pair were speechless, at the thought of holding and hugging Kelsea, afraid to ever let her go again. While they claimed to never give up hope, they both knew that they were expecting the call, to tell them that their daughter's remains had been found.

It was a tiny whisper of hope.

The next three days were spent waiting anxiously next to the phone, their poor three year old ultimately confused at her parents' actions.

Their families only knew a certain amount- that there was a lead in Kelsea's case- because they had built up their own hopes, and needed people to lean on for support.

As Rachel peeled potatoes for their dinner, she found images of a seven year old wandering into her head. At the age of three, Kelsea had looked a lot like she did when she was that age- in her mind, Kelsea was the little girl portrayed in the old photos in the shoeboxes Julie kept. Smiling, laughing, the perfect little girl.

"Eat up bugalug", Jake said cheerfully, setting down the pink princess plate in front of Tayah. "Your favourite!"

Mashed potatoes smothered in gravy and chicken schnitzel- a favourite in the Barton house. Sitting down around the kitchen table, a glass of orange cordial in front of Tayah, a glass of wine in front of Rachel and a beer in front of Jake, they ate, conversation dwindling in and out, Tayah making them giggle with her knowledge.

But the phone ringing made them all jump, as Rachel and Jake leapt off their chairs to answer it, all but killing each other in the process. Tayah giggled hysterically as Rachel took a swipe at her husband, Jake clambering onto the bench, standing far out of her reach, to speak to whoever was on the other end.

"I hope you fall", Rachel griped bitterly, taking her seat beside Tayah once more. "Daddy's silly, Tay".

"He is", the little girl agreed, nodding cheerfully, spearing a piece of chicken and nibbling seriously.

Rachel laughed at the little girl, kissing her on the top of her head and glancing over at Jake. All the colour in his cheeks drained away and for a moment, Rachel thought he was going to crash off the kitchen bench and onto the tiles. Jumping to her feet once more, Jake made the announcement Rachel never thought she'd hear.

But not the once she necessarily wanted to hear.

"We're going to Perth- Rach, pack our bags".

Rachel jumped into action, running into the hallway and yanking out a suitcase- the faster she moved, the faster they would get to Perth. Jake took Rachel's laptop down from its spot (Tayah, very much like Kelsea had been, had a problem with staying still, and would run everywhere. Therefore, all loose cords had to be either taped down to the floor or put away, to prevent the little girl from seriously injuring herself), logging onto the internet.

Tayah looked around, bewildered, at the chaos that had suddenly become their house. her parents were running around, packing suitcases and booking flights, completely abandoning their chicken schnitzel and mashed potatoes.

"Mama, where's Perth?" she called.

"Oh my God, Tay, I forgot all about you!" Rachel apologised, shoving a pair of Jake's jeans into the suitcase. "Sorry, baby, Mummy's sorry- Jake, Tay's coming?"

"We aren't taking Tay". Jake shook his head and Tayah screwed her face up in a complaint.

"Daddy! Can I come to Perth?"

"Baby, you won't like Perth", he told her, tossing the rolled up pairs of socks from the washing basket to where Rachel was packing their suitcase.

"Is there a beach?" she said curiously.

"Not where we're going". He shook his head, and watched as the cogs in his daughter's head whirred.

"I wanna stay with Grandma", she decided, sliding off her chair to pad towards her bedroom. "I like beaches and we're not gonna go to a beach".

"Tayah Elyse, what about your dinner?"

"Had enough!" she called, dragging out her own little pink suitcase. "Mummy where's my jarmies?"

"Top drawer, you know where your jarmies are", Rachel said absently, rifling through the top drawer of the kitchen cupboard (the drawer that accumulated all the junk that no one else wanted, but weren't going to throw out).

"Can I go to Grandma's tonight?"

"Not tonight, baby, tomorrow morning", Jake told her. But then it dawned on him, amidst the panic. "We've gotta call Jules".

"Can I talk to Grandma?"

The little girl was brighter than they gave her credit for, Rachel had to admit.

"In a minute". Plucking the phone off its dock once more, he dialled the number they all knew. "Hey Jules, its Jake".

"Hi darling", Julie said cheerfully.

"Listen, something's come up, Rach and I were wondering if Tay could stay with you for a couple of days. Or Mum. It's a spur of the moment thing". He shrugged.

"Of course, she's more than welcome here- is everything alright?" she asked suspiciously, her mother's intuition catching on. "Are you two alright?"

"We're fine, Julie", he laughed shakily. "It's just something's come up, and we don't really think bugalug needs to come with us".

"Are you fleeing the country?" Jake heard Ben bellow.

"Just the state!" Rachel shrieked back. "Mind your own business Benny!"

Tayah exploded into a fit of giggles (she loved the banter between her mother and uncles), as she shoved her pyjamas into the pink suitcase.

"You're leaving the state?" Julie said in surprise.

"We're going to Perth…" his voice trailed off.

"Oh my God, is this about Kelsea?"

"Kelsea?"

"Mum, put them on speaker!"

"Shut up, we can't hear!"

"What did the cops say?"

"Oh my God, did they find her?"

"What about Kelsea?"

"I wanna talk to my SISTER!"

"Guys, shut up, Mum's on the phone!"

"Mum gimme the phone I wanna talk?"

"Is that Jake and Rachel?"

"Give me the phone!"

"Crowd 'round, we can all hear!"

"BE QUIET MUM'S TRYING TO TALK!"

(Jake knew that both he and Rachel were bad when it came to visiting her parents- and his mother- but they almost always went home at the end of the night. Sammy and Nathan, Carbo and Retta and Ben and Melissa seemed to live there, where in reality, their house was on the other side of the Colourbond.)

"We don't know, all we know is that we're going to Perth", Rachel said in exasperation, snatching the phone from her husband. "And we'll be depositing our three year old on your doorstep for an uncertain period of time tomorrow morning".

"You're not coming back?" Tayah's bottom lip quivered and Jake laughed, scooping her into her arms.

"What do you think, Rach, should we come home or just leave bugalug here?"

(Snapping his mouth shut, he realised how close to home he had just hit. He was not going to lose another daughter.)

"I'll talk to you in the morning, alright Mum?" Rachel said conversationally. With the promise of telling her everything in the morning (Julie having to shout of the cacophony of her own house), she put the phone down to join her husband and daughter. "I don't know, Jake, I think we'll leave her here for a while, we'll go to Perth…"

"No!" Tayah insisted, struggling to stand up on her father's legs. "You can't leamme here!" she wrapped her arms around his neck, threatening not to let go. "I don't wanna be all alone!"

"We'll never leave you, baby", Rachel said gently, pulling Tayah into her lap and kissing the top of her head. "We'll be back, we promise. Hopefully with some good news".

"With my big sissy?" she wanted to know, leaning back into her mother's embrace, throwing her feet into her father's lap.

Tayah had never known her big sister- something that her parents ultimately regretted- but it didn't mean that Kelsea Jean hadn't been a part of her life.

"Hope so, munchkin", Jake told her, and Tayah smacked a kiss to his cheek. "I really, really hope so".


End file.
